All posts by Dave Johnson

With a well designed landscape, homeowners want to spend as much time as possible outside. Low voltage landscape lighting extends the enjoyment of your yard, allowing you to be outside long past sunset.

Well placed and quality landscape lights will provide plenty of benefits. From safety to decoration and atmosphere, lighting is a design feature that should be included in every yard.

These lighting systems are considered low voltage because they run on 12 volts, as opposed to the 120 volt lighting systems inside your home. Entire sets are installed in a simple manner and without the assistance of an electrician. Add new lights or adjust the existing ones without even needing to turn the system off.

In any situation, lighting creates safety. Traffic paths are illuminated, making obstacles and dangers easy to see. Low voltage landscape lighting helps people find paths and walkways in unfamiliar, dark territory and when installed in overhead features systems light up surfaces used for cooking and serving food, such as BBQs and tables.

Lighting is also used effectively for decoration. Daylight focal points can remain in sight or totally different points can be brought onto center stage when lit up. Highlight impressive trees, shrubs or garden sculpture. Decorate with color, shapes and patterns. Frame an area in a string of lights to make that space stand out in the dark. Whatever you need to decorate and accentuate, lighting will help.

Create an intimate atmosphere with low voltage landscape lighting. Set into an overhead beam above a table, lights can provide the perfect mood for romance. They can also generate a party atmosphere, helping you and your guests keep going long into the night. Low voltage lights are not overpowering, but when concentrated together they can provide decent illumination and help to create the perfect atmosphere.

Low voltage lighting sets are featured in any local home improvement store. In a kit you should find enough lights for your yard, a transformer and plenty of wire. Make sure the set has good warranty coverage and decent quality manufacturing. Styles vary from thin and tall towers to squat and short units. Remember that you can add to any prepackaged set and many brands have extensions.

Transformers turn your system on, so buying one with a timer will allow you to set the switch up ahead of time. A photocell transformer takes that one step further, sensing when the darkness falls and turning everything on. Make sure to get a transformer with a high enough wattage to hold all of the necessary units.

Higher quality landscape lights are available from specialty stores. Landscape contractors and lighting dealers will have access to products made to last longer than the department store models. Be prepared to pay a premium for these lights, but they often come with much more extensive warranties and heavy duty construction.

For improved energy efficiency, look at LED lighting sets. These bulbs employ a different technology than incandescent, allowing them to last much longer and use less energy. LEDs may have a slightly different shade of light, but for outdoor applications it won’t matter.

To improve your landscape in the front or backyard, invest in low voltage landscape lighting. Added safety, decoration and atmosphere will transform your outdoor living space.

Find all of the information and details you will need to create beautiful low voltage landscape lighting in your garden or patio area fast! You can see a wide selection of fantastic lighting when you visit http://www.lowvoltagelandscapelighting.org today!